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AFC boss – There will be no more two-year player deals

DAVE Bayliss says he will be making no more two-year contract offers to players as long as he is in charge at Barrow AFC.

LONG CONTRACT: Andy Nicholas

The last time the Bluebirds boss handed out such a deal was on the eve of the 2010/11 Blue Square Bet Premier season, when defender Andy Nicholas signed for the club.

Nicholas was last week released by Barrow having made just 33 appearances – 10 in his first season and 23 in the campaign just gone.

The 28-year-old centre-half/left-back failed to impress most supporters and was out of favour for much of his time at Furness Building Society Stadium.

Bayliss said: “Andy Nicholas was probably one of the best signings I’ve made – in a perverse kind of way.

“It’s made us realise that as a club we can’t do deals like that any more.

“There will be no-one getting two-year contracts as long as I’m here. It will be one-year deals all the way.

“To be fair to Nicho, he showed what he can do towards the end of the season with some good performances, but to do it then is not enough.

“He lacked drive and never knocked on my door to ask why he was not playing, but he is a decent enough lad and I’m sure he will get fixed up with another club.”

Nicholas was one of five players, the others being captain Phil Bolland, Paul Smith, Cliff Moyo and Kelvin Lomax, to be released by Barrow last week.

Since then, midfielders Robin Hulbert and Andy Ferrell have also been shown the door.

Bayliss, who has already explained his reasons for releasing Hulbert and Ferrell, said: “Bolly was touch and go. The changes we intend to make to our training regime, doing morning and afternoon sessions, wouldn’t have suited Bolly, who has three kids and a physio practice to run.

“He has been fantastic for the club and received a lot of unfair criticism. We had three of the best years Barrow have had with Bolly at the heart of the defence.

“Smigger (Smith) was a difficult one too.

“On the pitch he did okay, at right-back and in central midfield. It was a decision both football and non-football based.

“Kelvin was disappointing in his season with us. I saw him play for Rochdale and Oldham previously and he was a player I always admired.

“He didn’t have a consistent run in our side and he made a lot of mistakes.

“Cliff, we wanted to keep and we offered him something. But he is a very young lad from a big family and he wants to get his education first. He wants to play part-time and go back to university.

“There is also a possibility he could go to America or Canada on a scholarship and we didn’t want to stand in his way.”

* AFC’s end-of-season dinner at Barrow’s Abbey House – already once rescheduled to Friday, May 18 to avoid a clash with the Keswick to Barrow Walk – has had to be further postponed.

A club statement said: “A lack of uptake and unavailability of regular sponsors means the club are now looking for a new date likely to be in late June or early July.”

Have your say

He was one of the highest paid players , He was injured for a long while and he was still picking up half decent money every week. In my eyes it was a good decision to get rid of him, The amount of money he was bening paid did not reflect on how well he was playing, Hopefullyget Danny hone on a free now, and a couple of decent experienced defenders, (with a bit of pace) something they have lacked, Jones slow, bolland slow, mcnulty slow, there aerial ability made up for that but hopefully, fingers crossed, they sign a couple of defenders with a decent pedigree!

Posted by Nathan Williams on
15 May 2012 at 11:19

Nicho played well in many positions whenever Bayliss could be bothered to pick him.